A Tennessee Highway Patrol lieutenant has been demoted after an internal investigation into claims he harassed a Hendersonville neighbor.

William Matsunaga has been demoted to a sergeant effective May 8 and transferred from the research and planning division back to a field position in Davidson County as a road sergeant, according to THP spokesman Lt. Bill Miller.

The investigation was conducted by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Inspectional Services Bureau, Miller said in a news release.

Matsunaga's neighbor, Arlene Ray, filed an incident report with the Hendersonville Police Department on April 26, claiming that a dispute over a parking spot escalated when her neighbor, Erika Matsunaga's husband, Lt. William Matsunaga, followed her 9-year-old daughter to the trash bin one day to ask whether her mother physically abused her.

Ray told the USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee that she bought a security camera after the latest incident with her daughter. She recorded footage that shows Matsunaga pulling into a spot next to her in the parking lot, then pulling out and pulling back in as close to her vehicle as possible.

Erika Matsunaga says on this day, Arlene Ray was parked in her space and their red jeep was parked in their space. When William Matsunaga left to get something from the store, he returned to find hat she had moved her truck over toward their condo to take up their space.(Photo: Submitted photo)

Matsunaga's wife, Erika, said in an email that Ray has one vehicle and two assigned parking spaces at the condo complex where they both live.

Ray continuously "parked close to or over the line and likely did so on purpose hoping that Will would park close enough to her to complain to anyone who would listen."

This photo, says Erika Matsunaga, shows a day when they came home to find that Arlene Ray parked sideways to take up three spaces.(Photo: Submitted)

"The date she posted the video, she parked on the line and her mirror was over the line. Will was completely inside his line, mirror and all. His parking was to ensure we could both open our car doors with ease and not be inconvenienced by her aggressive parking."

Earlier this week, Miller said THP was investigating the allegations.

"We take the conduct of our troopers very seriously," he said at that time.

Sumner News Editor Amy Nixon can be reached at anixon@gannett.com or 615-946-7549.